This is no news to the local Baguio community when it comes to communal spaces and good cafes. For seven years, Hatch Coffee—on its very formal wording of purpose—has been an inclusive cafe experience that Baguio can be proud of, thanks to Arnelli Aportadera, mostly known as Bondy. In more casual terms, it is a community coffee shop that serves its local neighborhood and acts as the very heart of any space-providing establishment. Way before “community” became a slogan, Hatch Coffee was safely one of the first places to truly care for its physical space and local people.
Valuing People’s Work — From cafe staff to the customers
After wrapping up corporate life in Manila, Bondy moved to Baguio to join his wife, setting up Hatch Coffee right on her family’s property. They simply wanted to serve comforting food and beverages without any complications, keeping everything. From operations to the menu.
Simple, consistent, and inclusive so that families could genuinely enjoy the space. When hiring staff, everyone is welcome regardless of educational background, whether they are college graduates, high school alumni, or vocational students, because they firmly champion servant leadership. As Bondy reflects on the early days of pitching and launching the cafe,
So, we wanted to make sure that alam namin yung plight ng mga staff namin. So, ako and my wife, we were employees number one and two. And for the first two years, kami talaga yung nagpapatakbo ng Hatch.”
Furthermore, cafe staff at Hatch receive a two-day weekend off, which is largely unheard of in the hospitality industry. Bondy notes,
And some people will raise eyebrows and say, bakit 5 (working) days? Lugi ka dyan. You’re too generous. Your staff are gonna abuse you.”
Ultimately, valuing people’s work serves as the foundational pillar for building a true community. In Bondy’s words,
For me kasi, the first layer talaga of a community coffee shop is taking care of your staff so that they take care of the community. And if we don’t do that, hindi nila aalagaan yung community.”
This philosophy is how they practically apply servant leadership to run their business.
Now celebrating its seventh year, Hatch Coffee has survived a global pandemic and multiple rainy seasons, proving sustainable and enduring. Bondy admits it isn’t about making them rich or filling their pockets, but rather about filling the soul.
Pinoy Indeed, with Community and Coffee
Hatch doesn’t claim to be the first to champion the communal value of coffee.
Instead, Bondy traces the Filipino love for coffee back generations, stretching far beyond older generations preparing their morning brews. Coffee is deeply generational: people historically picked beans from their backyards and roasted them themselves right on their stoves, meaning that coffee culture existed long before modern specialty cafes emerged.
Naturally, coffee and community proved to be a perfect match, especially in a semi-walkable city like Baguio where parking is challenging and locals navigate every nook and cranny on foot. As Bondy explains,
Mapapansin ng mga locals kung may bago. On weekdays, kasi pag wala masyadong turista, Baguio Is really a small town. If you go to a certain spot, you’ll really bump into somebody you know. So, ganun sa Baguio na that’s why word of mouth really spreads fast.”
This organic dynamic worked heavily to their advantage. Because Baguio’s city center functions as the hub where everything happens. From banking and grocery shopping to running print errands—people love exploring every doorway and building, an energy that directly inspired the cafe’s branding.
Good Consumer, Good Palate
With the rise of the third-wave coffee movement, younger generations are eagerly creating continuous third spaces and seeking out great coffee alongside like-minded peers.
For young entrepreneurs looking to venture into the coffee world, Bondy shares three essential tips. First, there is a brand and a product for everyone, so instead of gatekeeping or bashing others, we should promote mutual support. In his words,
There’s a concept, there’s a food product, and there’s a beverage item for everyone. We don’t have to all like the same thing. It’s okay to have different preferences, different options. And if we have other options, it’s okay to gravitate towards one.”
He adds,
They’re run by humans, they also employ human beings na kung may mabash dun, it can instantly turn something around it.”
Second, aspiring owners need to get their feet wet and try things out because, as Bondy notes,
Kasi not everybody, just because you’re a good consumer doesn’t mean you’re a good business owner.”
Third, entrepreneurs should seek help from subject matter experts in areas like branding and marketing, especially in an era shaped by debates around AI and creative industries—may it be through partnerships or service contracts, to ensure the business remains multi-dimensional.
As Hatch Coffee celebrates its seventh anniversary this December, there won’t be any massive productions. True to its form, they will simply invite local brands to host pop-ups, letting whoever shows up make the party happen.
Proving once again that a true community is both pro-people and pro-coffee.
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